2 Best Sights in The Western Cape and Winelands, South Africa

Covering just 6,880 acres of coastal fynbos, Bontebok National Park is the smallest of South Africa's national parks. Don't expect to see big game here—the park contains no elephants, lions, or rhinos. What you will see are bontebok, graceful white-faced antelope nearly exterminated by hunters in the early 20th century, as well as red hartebeest, Cape grysbok, steenbok, duiker, and the endangered Cape mountain zebra. There are simple chalets in the reserve as well as camping facilities. For day visitors there are a number of short but beautiful walks—seeing wildlife on foot is a wonderful experience.

Even if you don't stop at the West Coast National Park, consider driving along the scenic road that runs through it. The park is a fabulous mix of wetlands and coastal fynbos. On a sunny day the lagoon assumes a magical color, made all the more impressive by blinding white beaches and the sheer emptiness of the place. Birders can have a field day identifying waterbirds, including curlew and bar-tailed godwits. The little mountain at the tip of the reserve where ships would drop off their mail on their trip around the Cape, is open only in flower season, which changes from year to year but falls somewhere between mid-August and early October. 

It's easy to run out of superlatives when describing West Coast flowers, but imagine acres of land carpeted in multicolored blooms as far as the eye can see. If you're lucky, you may catch glimpses of zebra, wildebeest, or bat-eared foxes. Keep an eye out for tortoises crossing the road. There is a handful of cute cottages dotted around the park if you'd like to stay over, or for something a little more unusual, check out the houseboats permanently moored in the lagoon. Accommodations get booked up months in advance for flower season, so plan ahead.